The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-14
Wednesday, Dec. ID. 1887.
The school commissioners Salary.

have introduced a bill in the Legislature
to fix the salary OF School CommiSSloner lol
Newberry County at three hundred collars
and to allow him fifty dollars for travelling eN-
penses The bill is now on its second reading
in the House, the debate having 6een a4J3uIh-
ed on Saturday to allow EaScrleio, cr n,cnets ~ ;
and Marlboro counties to come in under lts
provisions. The bill Is not TO take euSct uh.li
January 1st, 1889, so that will not AFFECT the
Section zoos of the General Statutes of this
State provides that the compensation OF inc
Commissioner fixed by the County Boaro oa
Examiners, shall not erceed three dollars per
day and that the number of days, except III
Charleston county, shall in no case crceed t'ro
hundred days (the italics are mine? Aclln.
under this law, the Examiners in tins county
have allowed the full two hundred Gays sniu anu
under the subsequent Act allowed the sum
of one hundred dollars as travelling expenses
thus fixing the salary Of the school CoininlS-
sioner at sepen hundred dollars per annum.
This Is more than the Sheriff oi tne counL! ,i,
makes. unless YOU add the fees for dieting the
prisoners. 1t is more than the Judge or FRO
bate makes out of his office, and yet both OF
these officers must keep their ofhceS open
every week day in the year. -,
This seven hundred dollars is PAID out OF
the county school fund, and If the blil PC
comes law the saving Will run Two scnools
each for six months and one for two months.
l will guarantee that there are tWehts
educated men in this county, any one ~. VI
whom will take the office and disehalgG In ,us
duties faithfully and efficiently lor three ''un
dred and fifty dollars per annnm. ,.,,,o
fo. ~ sSnboIe ,,eo,,,e :. POPE.
December Sd, iSS.-Heroid and Ne'os.
In the same paper from which 'he ABOVE
letter is taken, we find the following among
the notes of the proceedings of the recent
County Teachers's Association Of Newberry'
"At this juncture the bill before the I:egisla-
ture to reduce the School Commissioner
salary was discussed, and the following reso-
luton, in regard thereto, was UNANIMOUSLY
passed: .
citation do not approve of the reduction Of the
salary OF School Commissioner ior Ne"peFis
County ,. .o,,e
extravagnnt appropriations, always resort 10
the School Commissioners or Trial Justices 10
show their economic instincts, as II tnesc are
the prime causes of oppressive taNalioh.
We believe 1t is fact that the teachers OF
the State, and the officers in the school depart
ment of the Government, talk moro ABOUT
their salaries than anything else, ana we iur-
ther believe that their acts are sufnelent 10
lead us to believe that they are more sollcl-
tious about the salaries than an efficient dis
charge Of their duties.
The office of School Commissioner is mere
sinecure. There is really very little reason
for continuing that office as separate o1ilce'
The County Auditor could discharge all the
duties of that Office without conflicting with
his duties as Auditor, and could do so WIN
very little addition salary.
There is no particular use for the office O
State superintendent of Education. The
Secretary of State could discharge the duties
of that office, without dollar of extra cost t"
the people.
The idea that nobody but q teacher, or one
qualified to receive a first class certificate
should hold the office Of County School Com
missioner, is too preposterous to need serious
consideration.
There is perhaps more tomioolery ana
downright humbugery connected with the
public schools than with any other depart
ment Of the Government and there is more
demand for reform in the methods which
now obtain in thisthan in any other branch
Of the Government.
In former times (before the war)-old held
country teachers, as a rule, did not receive
more than from $50 to $50 a year. why
should we now pay more, especially when we
have q greater number of college graduates
than ever before?
We believe that no county in the State can
boast of better teachers than Abbeville, and
we believe, our schoosl are kept open longer
than any other. For the long terms We are
indebted TO the good sense and business tact
of Commissioner Cowan, who looks to the in
terest Of the children.